Leadership and the Law
Fourteen individuals guide Ramshackle’s affairs. Technically, the city’s Admiral is an absolute ruler and the six Commodores and six Magistrates form an advisory council. In practice, Admiral Lecheq has little interest in managing the day to day affairs of the city, and her council wield her authority as their own. Indeed, Firemane only rarely takes her seat on the council, preferring to send her representative, an individual known as the Quartermaster.
The Admiral
The ultimate authority in Ramshackle carries the title of Admiral. The only Admiral the city has ever known is Antana “Firemane” Lecheq, the very same pirate captain who founded Ramshackle. She has lived for hundreds of years thanks to the unworldly powers she received in the heart of the Deep One’s Shrine. Her seniority and her powers have helped Lecheq rule unchallenged, but she is also wise enough to defer to her advisors much of the time, and so keep them happy.
The Quartermaster
Admiral Lecheq prefers not to be too tied down by the boring minutiae of rule, and so she chooses a right hand to see to the management of civil matters in Ramshackle. The Quartermaster also speaks for the Admiral in front of the city’s council in the event of her absence.
The Commodores
Below Admiral Lecheq in the chain of military command are the city’s six Commodores. These official are responsible for the marines who both police the city and guard it from external threats. In practice, the Commodores are usually where the buck stops. Firemane prefers to remains hands off until she feels she has no choice but to step in.
There are two each for every Ward, excluding the South Ward (which is currently considered to be under East Ward’s governance). The two Commodores of each Ward between them command the City and Sea Divisions of that Ward. The Commodores aren’t exempt from the policy of alternating marines between divisions, and switch office with their counterpart once per year.
The Magistrates
The Magistrates are officially the heads of the city’s executive branch, below only Firemane. Firemane is usually content to leave the Magistrates to their jobs. In point of fact, the day to day running of the civil bureaucracy is usually deferred by the Magistrates to their own subordinates. This isn’t to say the Magistrates don’t keep busy. They have another role which consumes much of their time: presiding over the city’s courts.
There are two Magistrates for each ward, excluding the South Ward (which is currently considered to be under East Ward’s governance, and has no residents in any case).Magistrates keep their offices and their courtrooms in their assigned ward’s civic building.
The Law
Ramshackle has comparatively few laws, as the freedom enjoyed by residents and visitors has always been the city’s primary attraction. The same laws apply to citizens and visitors alike. City officials are indirectly afforded greater protection by the law, since committing crimes against them is generally punished with greater severity.
The leadership of Ramshackle all have authority to pass judgement. Magistrates are responsible for overseeing the civil courts. Commodores may pass judgement on their subordinates, though only when the marine’s crime is committed during the course of their duties. Crimes commit by a marine outside the bounds of their responsibilities are considered civil crimes, and a matter for the Magistrates. The Admiral is the ultimate arbiter of law in the city, though Firemane only exercises this right in the most serious cases.
Technically, the law of Ramshackle is in flux. The Admiral may declare any punishment she see fit, and she grants the Magistrates and Commodores the same right. Nevertheless, a rough guideline has been established based on precedent established by a growing body of existing case lore. There is no legal requirement to follow this code, but deviation from it is rare.
The essence of all the city’s laws boils down to this: as long as you continue to pay your taxes and bring no harm to fellow citizens or visitors, then the authorities don’t care what you do. Even unwilling visitors are protected: Ramshackle values the freedom of all intelligent creatures, and one of the city’s few restrictions on criminal enterprise is a strong anti-slavery stance.
Ramshackle’s marine stations and watch houses have short-term holding cells, but the city has only one actual prison, which floats to the South-East of Tern District and is known as the Locker. This prison houses only criminals who have been sentenced to hard labour, as well as prisoners awaiting their judgement who are too high profile or connected to be safely kept in the city proper. The city’s paucity of long-term prison facilities should give some indication of the severity of Ramshackle’s punishments: they often involve either exile or execution.
Legal Precedents
As mentioned previously, the city authorities generally follow the precedents described here but are under no obligation to do so. They may dictate any punishment they see fit, and can only be overruled by the Admiral herself (which has never previously occurred).
Crimes against the City
Accidental fire causing significant damage to one or more property, or the city: Execution by blade of the individual or individuals responsible. Any surviving family of the criminal who have not also been held responsible are exiled. Any wealth and property belonging to the perpetrator and their family is confiscated and added to the city’s coffers to help rebuild.
Arson: Execution by flame of the individual or individuals responsible. Any surviving family of the criminal who have not also been held responsible are exiled. Any wealth and property belonging to the perpetrator and their family is confiscated and added to the city’s coffers to help rebuild.
Brandishing weaponry in public or a place of business: The criminal is fined up to 20 gold pieces.
Burglary or theft of city property: The criminal is fined the value of the stolen items, or up to twice the cost of the stolen items if some or all were not recovered. Depending on the seriousness of the crime, the criminal may have their dominant hand removed (in the case of theft) or have one leg lamed (in the case of burglary), and may even be exiled. The criminal’s family are not exiled with them, and may leave or not as they wish. In the event that the forgery cost the city in some way, some or all of the perpetrator’s wealth and property may be confiscated by the city.
Corruption by a city official: A certain amount of corruption is tolerated in Ramshackle, so this is a crime that often escapes punishment beyond a small fine (usually up to 50 gold pieces). If the outcome is considered serious, the criminal is fined up to 500 gold pieces, or twice the estimated cost of their corruption if it can be calculated. They are also exiled. The criminal’s family are not exiled with them, and may leave or not as they wish.
Espionage: Interrogation then execution by drowning. Any surviving family of the criminal who have not also been held responsible are exiled and must pay for their own passage, except in the event they are destitute. Any wealth and property belonging to the perpetrator and their family is confiscated by the city.
Evasion of tariffs, taxes, or other civilly mandated fees: The criminal is fined the full value of the evaded fees plus fifty percent again.
Forgery of an official document: Depending on the seriousness of the forgery’s intended purpose (whether successful or not), punishments range from the removal of the forger’s dominant hand to their execution by blade. Criminals that are not executed are exiled. The criminal’s family are not exiled with them, and may leave or not as they wish. In the event that the forgery cost the city in some way, some or all of the perpetrator’s wealth and property may be confiscated by the city.
Interfering with the course of justice: The criminal is fined up to 200 gold pieces and sentenced to hard labour for a period no less than seven days.
Major damage of city property: Execution (usually by blade), and damages to be paid the city equal in value to 500 gold pieces plus the cost of repair.
Minor damage of city property: Damages to be paid to the city equal to 100 gold pieces plus the cost of repair.
Treason: Pain for no less than a month then execution by drowning, and the criminal’s personal wealth and property is transferred to the family of the victim. If doing so would leave the criminal’s immediate family destitute, then they are given enough coin to pay for passage away from Ramshackle.
Complicity in any aforementioned crime: The complicit is fined up to one half the fine paid by the actual criminal or criminals, or up to 500 gold pieces if there is no such value. They may also be exiled. In such a case the complicit’s family are not exiled with them, and may leave or not as they wish.
Crimes against Officials
Murder of a city official: Pain for no less than seven days then execution by drowning, and the criminal’s personal wealth and property is transferred to the family of the victim.
Non-consensual violence or magic against a city official: Execution by drowning, and the criminal’s personal wealth and property is transferred to the the victim.
Intense or prolonged violence or magic against a city official: Execution by pain, and the criminal’s personal wealth and property is transferred to the victim.
Impersonating the Admiral: Execution by drowning, and the criminal’s personal wealth is confiscated by the city.
Impersonating a city official: The criminal is fined up to 500 gold pieces and sentenced to hard labour for a period no less than a month. In serious cases, the criminal may instead be executed by drowning, and the criminal’s personal wealth is confiscated by the city.
Blackmail or attempted blackmail: The criminal’s personal wealth and property is transferred to the the victim. In serious cases, the criminal may also be executed by pain.
Bribery, attempted bribery: A certain amount of corruption is tolerated in Ramshackle, so this is a crime that often escapes punishment beyond a small fine (usually up to 50 gold pieces). If the outcome is considered serious, the criminal may be ordered to pay a fine of up to 500 gold pieces, or up to twice the value of the bribe if it is known. They are also sentenced to hard labour for a period no less than a month, or else exiled. The criminal’s family are not exiled with them, and may leave or not as they wish.
Complicity in any aforementioned crime: The complicit is fined up to one half the fine paid by the actual criminal or criminals, or up to 500 gold pieces if there is no such value. They are also exiled. In such a case the complicit’s family are not exiled with them, and may leave or not as they wish.
Crimes against Citizens and Visitors
Blackmailing or intimidating: The criminal must pay damages of up to 200 gold pieces plus the amount extracted from the victim by their blackmail.
Burglary or robbery: The criminal must pay damages to the victim equal to the value of the stolen items, or up to twice the cost of the stolen items if some or all were not recovered. Depending on the seriousness of the crime, the criminal may have their dominant hand removed (in the case of theft) or have one leg lamed (in the case of burglary), and may even be exiled. The criminal’s family are not exiled with them, and may leave or not as they wish. In the event that the forgery cost the city in some way, some or all of the perpetrator’s wealth and property may be confiscated as damages.
Damaging property or livestock: The criminal must pay damages of up to 500 gold pieces to the victim, plus the cost of any necessary repairs or replacement.
Engaging in the practice of slavery: execution by pain (whipping). Any surviving family of the criminal who have not also been held responsible are exiled. Any wealth and property belonging to the perpetrator is divided among all slaves rescued, who are also offered citizenship (exempted from the usual processing fee).
Murder of a citizen without justification: Execution (varies, but typically by blade), and the criminal’s personal wealth and property is transferred to the family of the victim.
Murder of a citizen with justification: The criminal must pay damages of up to 1,000 gold pieces to the victim’s kin.
Non-consensual violence or magic against a citizen: The criminal must pay damages of up to 500 gold pieces to the victim.
Intense or prolonged violence or magic against a citizen: Execution by pain, and the criminal’s personal wealth and property is transferred to the victim.
Complicity in any aforementioned crime: The complicit is fined up to one half the fine paid by the actual criminal or criminals, or up to 250 gold pieces if there is no such value. They may also be exiled. In such a case the complicit’s family are not exiled with them, and may leave or not as they wish.
Crimes against Diplomats
Ramshackle’s policy for discouraging crime against important foreign personages is simple: they hand the criminal over to representatives of the foreign power in question and allow them to enact any punishment they see fit. In theory this means punishment according to the legal code of the diplomat’s own nation, which is generally scary enough, but in practice a diplomat may take advantage of Ramshackle’s freedoms to enact a far more personal vengeance.
If the punishment chosen does not kill the criminal or remove them from Ramshackle, they and their entire immediate family are also exiled. The city confiscates their personal wealth and property.
Executions
Ramshackle punishments usually fit the crime, and the same is true when a Magistrate rules that a person be executed. After an execution, the body is given to the ocean if possible to do so.
Execution by Blade. Generally the punishment for crimes of violence, execution by blade most often manifests as a beheading (sometimes public, sometimes private).
Execution by Flame. Reserved for the crime of arson, execution by flame involves the construction of a raft which is coated in flame-retardant alchemical substances that delay the raft from sinking during the punishment. The criminal or criminals are chained to the raft, which is towed out into the Kraken’s Eye before the guilty are set aflame.
Execution by Drowning. This method of execution is often reserved for crimes against the city and city officials, as well as crimes against the ocean itself (such as extreme pollution of the water, which a few artificers have discovered during the city’s history). Naturally, it is also considered a just punishment for any murderer who drowned their victim. The guilty is bound in irons and forced to walk the plank over the Kraken’s Eye.
Execution by Pain. When a crime causes prolonged pain to the victim, the criminal can expect torture until death. The criminal’s period of pain is determined by the magistrate, but is usually not less than one week. The delivery method of the guilty’s pain varies by crime. Typical examples include cuts, whipping, or hot irons.
Exile
When exiled, the criminal must pay for their own passage or have someone pay the passage on their behalf. If they cannot do so, they perform hard labour to earn the price of their passage from the city (see Damages, Fines and Labour below).
In the event that the criminal’s immediate family are exiled with them, they must also pay for their own passage if it is financially feasible for them to do so. If not, the criminal must perform labour until the entire family’s passage can be paid. Their family may also earn in the meantime to reduce the period of labour, if they have or can find employment.
Damages, Fines and Labour
When a criminal is ordered to pay damages or a fine, they must do so immediately if possible. The value may be paid by someone else on the guilty’s behalf.
Should the criminal be unable to pay their in part or in full, then they must do hard labour on behalf of the city until they have earned the full value. If the criminal is working off damages, the city pays the victim up front on the criminal’s behalf.
Hard labour for the city generally takes place in the iron works, where the labouring criminals can be most easily kept under supervision. They are shipped to the iron works every morning from the Locker, Ramshackle’s prison, and returned to the prison each evening.
If the criminal dies before working off their debt, a family member of 14 years or greater must take it on. The possibility of involving family gives the guilty reason not to seek death to avoid their just punishment.
Transfer of Wealth and Property
In many cases, the criminal’s wealth and property is confiscated by the city or transferred to the victim or the victim’s family. If this would render the criminal’s immediate family destitute, they are permitted to keep just enough money to cover the cost of passage away from Ramshackle for each member of the family other than the criminal themselves. This applies even if the family hasn’t been exiled: if they are permitted to stay, it is their choice whether to use this fund to leave the city, or to try and start again.
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